For some years, the telephone industry has been developing an enhanced telephone network, sometimes referred to as an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN), for providing a wide array of new voice grade telephone service features. In an AIN type system, local and/or toll offices of the public telephone network detect one of a number of call processing events identified as AIN "triggers". An office which detects a trigger suspends processing of a call, compiles a call data message and forwards that message via a common channel interoffice signaling (CCIS) link to a database system, such as an Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP) which includes a Multi-Services Application Platform (MSAP) database. If needed, the ISCP can instruct the central office to obtain and forward additional information. Once sufficient information about the call has reached the ISCP, the ISCP accesses its stored data tables in the MSAP database to translate the received message data into a call control message and returns the call control message to the office of the network via CCIS link. The network offices then use the call control message to complete the particular call. For an ordinary telephone service call, there would be no event to trigger AIN processing; and the local and toll office switches function normally and process such a call without referring to the central database for instructions. An AIN type network for providing an Area Wide Centrex service, for example, was disclosed and described in detail in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,571 to Kay et al.
In an AIN network developed by the Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOCs) and Bell Communications Research (Bellcore), a terminal and software system referred to as `SPACE` functions as the service creation environment and/or service provisioning system for the AIN control functions in the central database system. For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,241,588 Babson, III et al., customized call processing information records are created and/or modified in a graphical environment, by creating or modifying a customer's service graph-on the display terminal. Data corresponding to the service graph is then stored in a service control point (SCP) database. Other terminal and software systems could be used to create and provision the AIN services. For AIN services today, however, telephone company personnel utilize the SPACE system to create templates for the service logic for new services. When customers subscribe to the services, the templates are filled in with the subscribers' data to create individual call processing records (CPRs). The CPRs are stored in the database in the SCP or in an ISCP, for controlling actual call processing.
Many of the enhanced communication services offered by the AIN permit a subscriber to input control information, to manage services as desired. For example, in a simple forwarding or redirection service, the subscriber might change the `forward to` number from time to time to route calls to different destinations. As another example, a subscriber might want to block calls unless they are to or from numbers on a list, and the subscriber would want to change the list of numbers from time to time. Some subscribers need to change certain information quite frequently, even for relatively simple AIN services. It is too cumbersome to require the subscriber to call the local telephone company's business office and request each and every one of the routine changes.
At present, automated subscriber interactions to modify the subscribers' AIN services rely mainly on a voice response type interaction. The subscriber calls a special number, hears recorded announcements or synthesized voice prompts and inputs a PIN number and service related information. Typically, the subscriber inputs the various information by keying buttons on a Touch Tone telephone, but use of speech recognition technology has been proposed to enable a subscriber to vocally input the information.
Consider for example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,583 to David F. Wheeler, Jr. and Robert D. Farris. This Patent discloses an intelligent peripheral (IP) for providing enhanced call processing functions, such as announcement and digit collection, voice recognition, facsimile mail and voice mail, in an AIN type telephone network. The IP connects through telephone line groups to one or more Service Switching Point (SSP) offices of the telephone network. The IP also communicates with an ISCP via a signaling network separate from the voice circuits and from the CCIS network that interconnects the ISCP to the SSP offices. One major use for the disclosed IP relates to provisioning and/or modifying services. The IP provides prompts and receives dual-tone-multi-frequency tone signals or speech inputs from subscribers.
Typically, a telephone company technician initially sets up a subscriber's service using the Service Creation Environment or SCE in the ISCP. As part of this procedure, the technician establishes one or more data tables for the subscriber in the service control point (SCP) database 43. Subsequently, the subscriber controls the service by inputting data to populate the subscriber's data table(s) through an interaction with the IP. The newly input control data is transferred from the IP to the ISCP for storage and for subsequent control of the subscriber's communication services. The IP also may provide a data interface for PC based access,
Such interactive voice response processing provides only limited input capabilities and is subject to input errors, because the subscriber accidently hits the wrong button or incorrectly pronounces a spoken input. Many of the AIN services require subscriber inputs, for example combinations of blocked numbers, time of day and day of the week, that are too complex for the average subscriber to input using the interactive voice response procedures.
Several other patents have suggested data terminal or PC access, through a local area network or direct dial-up links to a host computer in the telephone network.
For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,957 to Von K. McConnell relates to an AIN-based technique enabling a commercial telephone subscriber to selectively activate service through a group of lines assigned to the subscriber. To facilitate input of the data for controlling the selective service activation, McConnell suggested use of PC type data terminals. One PC connects to the service management system (SMS) in the ISCP via a dedicated data communication line. Another PC communicates with the SMS via a dial-up modem session through the telephone network. Either PC may store information relating to the subscriber's products and services and preset tables or forms for entry of the necessary data to control that subscriber's restricted access communication services.
With the McConnell system, when the subscriber wants to activate communication services in relation to one or a series of products or services (e.g., a delayed or canceled airline flight), the representative accesses the necessary data relating to products or services and completes the data tables to activate the communication services, for example identifying the particular line(s) for which service will be active and the on and off times. When the representative has entered and confirmed the data for activating the service, the PC downloads that data to the SMS within the ISCP. The SMS updates the appropriate records in the ISCP, after which the ISCP activates services from the subscriber lines in accord with the most recently entered data.
Commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,413 issued Jun. 11, 1996 to Frank C. Cheston, III, James E. Curry and Robert D. Farris suggests extending AIN into customer premises equipment (CPE). The CPE system includes a signaling transfer point (STP) coupled to the CCIS system of the public telephone network as well as an ISCP database. The ISCP on the customer premises may be implemented in software in a personal computer. Although not disclosed in detail in the issued Cheston, III, et al. Patent, a related application (Ser. No. 08/508,428) adds the teaching of customer programming of the network ISCP from the CPE equipment. In accord with this aspect of the Cheston et al. invention, a PC or other computer on the customer premises will run telephone service programming software. The signaling communication link to the CCIS network of the exchange carriers permits the subscriber using the on-premises PC and software to load AIN service information into the relevant CPE devices as well as into the ISCPs and switches of the local exchange carrier network and the interexchange carrier (IXC) network.
Although the PC or terminal based solutions offer some enhanced subscriber access to control AIN services, the solutions proposed to date have inherent limitations. Any of these prior art implementations using a PC or terminal to access the network require specialized terminals and/or software and provide only limited access. Also, in most cases, the local operating company must maintain the local area network or a bank of modems to provide the PC access service.
A need therefore still exists for a technique which will enable any subscriber to personally access and control their AIN services from a general purpose computer without specially developed hardware or software interfaces.